Sheet holding device



Sept, 13, 1949. A. c. GANNON SHEET HOLDING DEVICE Filed May 1, 1946.

INVENTOR. ALFRED Of GAMNON,

A TTOITNE).

support.

Patented Sept. 13, 1949 Kingan &- -Co.

Incorporated, Indianapolis,

Ind., a corporation ofNew Jersey Application May 1, 194.5, Serial No. 666,382

- Claims.

The present invention relates to a sheet holding device, and is particularly concerned with the provision of means for retaining a stack of paper sheets in such a fashion'that a force applied by hand' to the top sheet of the stack, substantially in the plane of that sheet, will separate the top sheet from the stack and from the holding device. The primary object of the invention is to provide means which will permit the above suggested manipulation, and which will prevent the entrainment, with the top sheet, of 'subjacent sheets.

A further object of the invention is to provide foot-operated means for releasing the grip of the holding means upon the stack, in order to permit removal of the stack as a whole, or recharging of the device.

Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and re-- lated objects, my invention maybe embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an end of a wrapping table with which my holding device is associated;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the holding device;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the table, providing a front'elevation of the holding device; and r Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, taken substantially on the line 44 of-Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

While my invention is applicable wherever individual sheets are to be removed from a stack for separate use, I am particularly concerned with the wrapping of sliced bacon; and the invention has been illustrated, and will be described, in connection with 2. bacon wrapping station.

According to standard practice, bacon is sliced upon an automatic machine which deposits theslices in overlapping parallelism on a traveling The bacon is removed from that support in batches of substantially a predetermined number of slices, and each batch is placed on a suitable wrapper sheet. Each batch of'bacon slices, on its sheet, then moves, upon a suitable conveyor, to a weighing station where the batch is adjusted to optimum weight, and then at a further station the batch of bacon is wrapped in its supporting sheet. According to standard practice, the wrapping material may be vegetable parchment, grease proof paper, cellophane, combinations of these; or specially coated papers; but my invention is applicable to all such wrappers and is not limited to use with any particular kind of sheet wrapping material.

The individual sheets of a stack of paper frequently tend to adhere together. It is impossible, without some sort of holding means, to separate one sheet consistently from a stack by force applied substantially in the plane of the sheet. Separation of the sheets is definitely a two-handed surface l5 of the-table l0.

' job; and it has been found that it is impossible for the batching operator to kee'p'up with the batching, weighing, and wrapping line, if she is required'to separate her sheets of paper. 'Therefore, it is standard practice to provide one operator to separate the sheets and another operator to lift the batches of bacon slices off the receiving tray and place them on the "sheets positioned by the first operaton The device of my invention makes it possible for a single operator to lift batches of bacon slices from the receiving tray, place each batch upon the top of a stack of wrapper sheets, and then, pressing down on the top-most sheet of the stackwith one hand andapplying force in the planeof the sheet, separate the top sheet only from the stack, with its .burden. of bacon slices, and push the unit onto the conveyor.

Referring more particularly to the drawingsit .will be seen that I have illustrated a table In a downwardly inclined surface leading from said high-level surface, to the parallel, low-level This arrangement produces a break or fold it in the stack of sheets, substantially at the foot of the surface It, and

an opposite break: or fold l! in thestack substantially at the top of the'inclined surface [4.

=While I am not able at present to state a theo- "retical explanation therefor, I find that the provision of these breaks It and I! materially faciliceived in the opening I9, and abutting against the base of the pillow block [2.

A similar guideway is formed in the block l2 adjacent its opposite side and registering with an opening 23 in the table 10, a rod 24 similar to the rod 20 being reciprocably mounted and guided therein. The rod 24 carries an adjustable abutment 25 adjacent its lower end, and a spring 26, sleeved on said rod and received in the opening 23, is confined between said abutment and. the bottom of the block l2.

It will be seen that the springs 22 and 26 resiliently urge the rods 20 and 24 downwardly.

A stretcher 21 operatively connects the rods 20 and 24 to move together; and a link 28 is adjustably connected to said stretcher substantially at its mid-point. At its lower end, the link 28 carries a shackle 29 to which is pivotally connected one end of a treadle 3B pivotally mounted at 3| upon one leg 32 of the table l0. Obviously, depression of the pedal 30 will lift the rods 20 and 24 against the tendency of their springs 22 and 26.

At its upper end, and above the pillow block l2, the rod 2|] carries a head 33 which reaches forward, beyond the vertical abutment surface 38 provided at that edge of the surface I3 re mote from the surface I4. Said head may be secured to the rod 20 by a pin 34, and is formed in its forward end with a downwardly opening socket 35 in which is supported a needle 36, located substantially vertically above the surface l3 and'pointing toward said surface. A set screw 31 retains the needle 36 in the socket.

A similar head 39 is similarly mounted upon therod 24 and similarly carries a needle 40 arranged in the same manner.

In use, the operator charges the device by depressing the pedal 30' to raise the needles 36 and 4!], and sliding a stack ll of sheets into position beneath the needles, with an end of said stack in abutment with the surface 38. Now the treadle is released, and the springs 22 and 26 press -the rods 20 and '24 downwardly, whereby the points of the needles 36 and 40 penetrate the uppermost sheets of the stack.

"Itwill now be found that, if pressure is applied, by hand, to the topmost sheet of the stack, and if a force is exerted, in the plane of the sheet, and in a direction away from the abutment surface 38, a topmost sheet of the stack will be torn from engagement'with the needles, but will be separated from the next subjacent sheet, which is' retained bythe' penetration of the needles therethrough'.

"' I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a platform for supporting a'stack of sheets, said platform being provided with a pair of spaced guideways adjacent an end thereof, a pair of rods guided for reciprocation'in said guideways, a needle carried by each of said rods above'said platform and pointing toward said platform, and a coiled spring sleeved on each of said rods and urging said rods downwardly to press the points of said needles through the topmost sheet of a stack supported on said platform.

2. In a device of the class described, a platform for supporting a stack of sheets, said platform being provided with a pair of spaced guideways adjacent an end thereof, a pair of rods guided for reciprocation in said guideways, a needle carried by each of said rods above said platform and pointing toward said platform, a coiled spring sleeved on each of said rods and urging said rods downwardly to press the points of said needles through the topmost sheet of a stack supported on said platform, a stretcher connecting said rods to move together, a lever pivotally associated witl'i' said platform, and means operatively connecting said lever with said stretcher to shift said needles against the bias of said springs in response to actuation of said lever.

3. In a device of the class described, a platform formed to provide a low-level surface, a high-level'surface,and an inclined surface joining said high-level surface with said low-level surface, said platform being adapted to support a stack of sheets, means mounted for reciprocation adjacent said platform, and a pair of needles carried by said reciprocatory means vertically above said high-level platform surface, said reciprocatory means biased to move downwardly to force said needles to penetrate the topmostsheet of a stack supported on said platform.

4.'In a device of the class described, a platform formed to provide a low-level surface, a high-level surface, and an inclined surface joining said high-level surface with said low-level surfaca'said platform being adapted to support a stack of sheets, means mounted for reciprocation adjacent said platform, a pair of needles carried by said reciprocatory means vertically above said high-level platform surface, and spring means urging said reciprocatory means to move downwardly to force said needles to penetrate the topmost sheet of a stack supported on said platform.

5. In a device of the class described, a platform formed to provide a low-level surface, a highlevel surface, an inclined surface joining said high-level surface with said low-level surface, and an abutment surface substantially perpendicular to said high-level surface and located at that boundary of said high-level surface remote from said low-level surface, means reciprocably mounted. on said platform at a point separated from said high-level surface bysaid abutment surface, a pair of needles, means carried by said reciprocable means and supporting said needles vertically above said high-level surface, said platform being adapted to support a stack of sheets with one edge of said stack abutting with said abutment surface, a portion of said stack supported on said hi h-level surface, and a portion of said stack supported on said low-level 'surface, and means biasing said reciprocable means to move downwardly to force said'needles to penetrate the topmost sheet of a stack supported on said platform.

C. GANNON.

stream r am The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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